Softbank ‘Pepper’ Robot: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Pepper is a robot that could be in your home next year. It will cost only $2,000. Learn more about Softbank’s new robot right here.

1. Pepper Robot Costs $2,000: Less Than a New TV or High-End Laptop

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When Pepper becomes available to the public, it will retail for under $2000. It’s amazing that you can have a robot in your home for less than the price of many other common tech splurges like a new TV or a high-end gaming laptop. The robot is about four feet tall, and weighs just a hair over 60 pounds.

The Verge notes that Softbank’s CEO, Masayoshi Son, has called Pepper the “world’s first personal robot with emotions.”

2. Pepper Robot Understands Emotions

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Pepper has been programmed to respond to human emotional states, and is likely to be used in various capacities, from shop assistant to babysitter. How does Pepper know how to respond? PC World explains:

“[Pepper is] Equipped with an array of audio, visual and tactile sensors…Its chest bears a 10.1-inch touchscreen that can be used to communicate along with its voice and gestures…it uses voice-recognition technology and proprietary algorithms to analyze people’s feelings from their facial expressions and tone of voice.”

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3. Pepper Robot Made By Japanese Company Softbank, With a French-Chinese Twist

Get a closer look at this friendly robot in the video above.

Pepper is a Japanese robot, but it works using some technology acquired from the French robotics company Aldebaran. The robot is something of an international affair, as its production will be outsourced to Chinese company Foxconn, best known as the company that Apple uses to assemble its iPhones.

Despite this international flair, it is not yet clear when or if this robot will make it to the US, though importing is always an option. The Wall Street Journal simply notes that Pepper will be available worldwide “eventually.”

Tucker Cummingsis Heavy's Senior Shopping Contributor. She's obsessed with finding the best deals, and firmly believes that paying full price is for suckers. She's also written for money-saving sites like DealNews and LivingSocial. August 10, 2015 2:59 pm